


The Black Cats

by fourtypercent



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Animal Abuse, Animal Death, Animal Torture, F/M, Rare Pairings, Regis and Noctis are black cats, Revenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-12-26 13:11:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12059661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fourtypercent/pseuds/fourtypercent
Summary: He wrote out his memoirs, he had always loved his cat Regis. They were two of a kind, and always seen together, until one day he did the unthinkable.Based on The Black Cat by Edgar Allen Poe





	The Black Cats

**Author's Note:**

> Ardyn sits in Angleguard, writing his memoirs about his beloved and hated pets.
> 
> 《" "》 daemon speak.

He pulled a thick notebook with a textured cover off of a shelf. He ran his hands over the surface feeling the buildup of dust and dirt that came in with the breeze. He pondered what to write. Surely, he had time to spare - to kill. He grabbed a fountain pen and took a seat at the battered table, and tucked in his chair. He cracked the spine of the book, a memory flashed before his eyes of a noose and a tuft of silky black fur. 

He unscrewed the cap to the pen, that's what he'll write about, his beloved black cat that he murdered with his bare hands and the one that landed him in prison. 

~

Being as ancient as I, I've come across many people in my time. Nothing intrigued me more than animals, namely pets. Pets loved you for you, not for what your career is, how much money you make, show them affection, you get affection back. If you show them hatred, not only will they avoid you, but it can come back to you.

Karma.

When I was younger, much younger that is, centuries ago, I had a wonderful black cat named Regis. He was a loving cat, you could say he was my best friend. He was completely black, his eyes a noble green. Regis was soft, a short haired cat, and was protective. He would follow me around my modest house, even ventured out into the streets with me. He was a faithful and loyal companion. 

Regis would kneed the blankets when I would ready myself for bed, he would sleep in a small ball next to me and only move if I would stir. He would lick my face to wake me from my slumber in the morning, and join me for breakfast. He had a bit of an attitude, if he wasn't fed promptly, he would meow a weird angry meow. He would narrow his brilliant emerald eyes if I suddenly changed his food for something he wasn't accustomed to. 

The daemons spoke to me, I spoke to Regis. We all seemed to understand each other. We were like a dysfunctional family. 

One thing the daemons and Regis didn't understand was my love of alcohol. To me, it calmed my nerves, it made the voices in my head quieter, it made the world make sense. It also made me angry, dark, and violent. Down right evil. I would vandalize, destroy and hurt others. 

One particular night, while out at the local tavern, I was provoked. A fellow patron at the bar picked a fight with me, saying because of my love to my small feline companion I was a pedophile, liking small, soft, innocent things. 

I turned away from the highly intoxicated patron and made my leave. I was fuming! 

~

He sat back in the rickety old chair. How much time has passed since he began writing? He got up, poured himself a glass of water and took a small sip, and placed it beside his black covered book. He observed his surroundings, gathering his thoughts. He turned to a shelf on the opposite wall and grabbed a fat white candle. He snapped his fingers to light the new wick, and placed it close by so he could resume his writing.

~

I went home, Regis sat on the top step waiting for me like he always does. I bent to pet his soft little head but the daemons repeated what the patrons said.

《“Ardyn is a pedophile”》

《“He can't find a wife so he takes in animals”》

《“Haha, he probably fucks them, too!”》

Regis sensed my uncertainty and swatted my hand away. He's never attacked me before, if he didn't want attention, he would simply run away. Regis was quick, I was quicker. I grabbed him by his tail, and pulled him towards me. He hissed and he scratched my hands. I finally got a hold of him and went into my house. 

Privacy. 

He continued to thrash, scratch and even attempted to bite me. I found a letter opener by a stack of forgotten mail and took my swift revenge. I held Regis towards me and cut out his left eye. 

I've never heard a cat scream. Regis screamed, wailed, and ran away when I dropped him. 

I dropped the letter opener to the floor, I did not care how much blood got on the area rug, I fell to my knees and cried. 

《Ardyn 1, Regis 0》

~

A sip of water cleared his throat of its itch. He sat back in his chair and sighed. He looked around the small room, the bed was still made, the stove had a old clean pot on it. Out the window, he saw the dark blue waves. A storm was rolling in. A perfect setting for the remainder of his beloved Regis’ life.

~

When I awoke, Regis was sitting a few feet away from me. He looked at me with his one remaining eye, slowly blinked, and walked away. The letter opener was behind where Regis sat, his eye was still on the end of it. Blood was soaked and now dry in the rug. 

I picked myself up and trudged into my kitchen. I made myself my usual breakfast, a hard boiled egg and some toast. I made Regis some breakfast, fresh salmon sliced up. I placed his dish on the floor where he usually ate and took my seat. 

I ate in silence. Regis sniffed his fish and turned and walked away. He left it untouched. 

The day passed slowly and quietly. Regis would make an appearance, but he would take off if I held my hand out to him. He was afraid, no, he was terrified of me. 

When I went into town later in the day, dogs barked at me, cats would fluff up and hiss. 

The days turned into week, than months. Regis would not sleep in my bed, refused to eat what I prepared for him and avoided me. It was late fall when I hurt Regis, now it was early spring.

I sat twisting a rope one silent spring evening. My mind was made up, their was no turning back. I took my rope and tied it to a tree out back. My early spring garden boasted fresh turned soil.

I waited for Regis to make his rounds. He begun to get closer to me. I couldn't look at him without seeing a monster. My daemons were no help either. 

《"Kill him"》

《"He's in pain"》

《"End his suffering"》

I gently picked him up, like I would like when he was a small kitten. I stroked his soft fur and took him outside. I remained calm as I approached my noose. I kissed his small head, then slipped the rope around his neck. Gravity did the rest. 

He died quickly. Thankfully he made no sound so my neighbours were none the wiser. I buried him in my garden. 

I finished my task quickly then retired to bed. I was lonely, but relieved. Regis suffered no more, so then I shall suffer no more. Ah, nevermore. I can walk the streets and look upon other cats and dogs and not see how much of a monster I am.

The next day was like a new lifetime, dogs were friendly again, cats would rub their bodies on my legs. 

Centuries passed in harmony. I could still not forget my wonderful Regis however.

~

Night had finally fallen. Ardyn could see and hear the daemons in Gladin Quay, if any beach goers were out, surely they would be dead. Since the passing of his dear wife, again by his own hands, the days were short. The four hours of sunlight brought plenty of people out, but the beasts would try to take over the land again. The world was no longer safe.

 

~

The first time I saw her, all I saw was light. It was a soft but bright light, like looking to the sun. She smiled at me.

We made idle small talk. She spoke freely, honestly and openly with me. Time seemed to stand still, she rooted me to the seat I was in, her laugh was clear and as pure as crystal and sounded like a gift from The Six. Time to me stood still in our juvenile meeting, but when we looked out the window from our meeting place, dawn was breaking. 

 

Luna, my Luna. My love, my rock, and my life. I've never met someone as pure as her. She had a gentle nature about her, her dogs Pryna and Umbra jumped up to greet me. She was quick to control them, but my laugh showed her that it was quite alright. 

I don't know what happened to us, one minute we were strangers sharing a drink, next we were married for three years trying to have a baby. 

《"She's tainted."》

《"Maybe she's unfit to bear children."》

《"You'll eat the baby if it's annoying, right?"》

《"The practice is fun, fuck her good and hard next time!"》

《"If she can't have children, perhaps you should just eat her. Give in to your urges. Do it!"》

The daemons thought they could sway me, I tried my best to hush them. My Luna and I would eventually have a baby, now our babies are Pryna and Umbra.

~ 

The candle nearly burned out. Ardyn reread all that he had written. The gruesome parts were yet to come.

He pushed his chair out, and got up. His stiff joints popped and he let out a soft moan. His stomach gave audible groan, he thought of what to make for lunch.

“Or, it's it dinner? Ahh, I just don't even know anymore.” he mentally threw up his hands in a laughable shrug. 

After he dined on a rare cooked steak with eggs, he poured himself a glass of red wine and got back to his writing.

~

It was the middle of the night, we both were cuddling together after we made love. Her breath was even and slow, she fell asleep in my arms. I breathed in her scent, but smelled smoke, not her usual scent of sylleblossoms.

I gently shook her awake, her blue eyes filled with concern, then she smelled it, too. Pryna and Umbra barked from the den where they usually slept making us dress quicker.

The four of us made it outside just with a moment to spare, the whole back of the house, by the garden, was on fire.

It didn't take long for the fire to spread and take the rest of the house with it. The walls that stood for centuries toppled in, the roof burned quick. The last and only thing that did not burn was the sturdy brick chimney. 

When the sky cleared of all the smoke, I gasped at what I saw. On the chimney, where our bedroom once was, was a clear spot that showed the brick. It looked odd, it was clean of soot and ash. The whole chimney was blackened, but a small area. With a closer look, I saw a perfect silhouette of a cat.

Regis.

Luna gently placed her arms around me, she told me that we could always start over and make a new life. My eyes were trained on that dark shadow of a cat on the clean part of the chimney. He came back and got his revenge on me. 

《"Ardyn 1, Regis 1"》

《"Should've left her to burn, she would look fascinating on fire."》

《"She smells too sweet, the smoke smells better."》

My eyes filled with frustration, my long dead cat came back to haunt me. I thought I did him a favour by putting him out of his misery. True, I did love him. But, he was afraid, and we can't have that. Fear is weakness. 

Some time passed, Luna and our dogs found a cozy house. It was a newer model home, small sloping attic, a full washroom with indoor plumbing (Quite a remarkable achievement, if I do say. No more brisk runs to the outhouse in the dead of winter to relieve oneself!) a grand kitchen, a good sized den, and even a basement. Yes, the basement had a dirt floor, but it made a great root cellar. The fireplace was bricked over years before, it was plastered over, too. 

Luna was happy here in our new home, her smile was my sunshine. 

Out on a leisurely stroll one midday, I came across a small creature. It was gray and brown, and sickly thin. I carefully picked the creature up and saw it was a kitten. It was too weak to even keep it's eyes open. I removed my scarf and wrapped it up and headed back home. 

I fed the kitten. It slept all day in my hands. Luna gently rubbed it's fur clean. It's coat was black, save for a spot on it's chest of pure white. 

“What shall you name him?” my Luna asked.

“Noctis” I smiled.

~

The wind picked up suddenly, the candle was snuffed out. Ardyn closed his eyes, took a deep breath in and slowly released it. 

He got up from the table, crossed the small space, changed into bed clothes, then climbed into bed. He was asleep as soon as hit head hit the pillow. 

His sleep was filled with thoughts of Luna, Regis, their two dogs, but what roused him from a terrible slumber was Noctis. 

He got up from his bed, didn't bother to make it and sat back down at the table. He turned to a fresh page and steadied his pen. He will finish this today.

~

Noctis was a curious and moody cat. He chewed book covers, he soiled the carpet, shredded the curtains, and rubbed his body on my legs as I tried to walk. He tripped me on occasion, but I treated him with kindness and respect. 

Noctis would swipe at me, hiss and growl. If I entered the room where he was relaxing he would attack me. 

I had enough of his games. Luna and I went to the cellar, Noctis ran down the stairs nearly making me fall. The wooden steps creaked under our feet, Noctis sat at the bottom waiting for us. 

I found what I was looking for, a pickaxe, a tool left by the home builders. Noctis wandered through the cellar, knocking things over as he went. He finally sat and licked at his paw. Now is my chance. 

I swung the pickaxe over my head wanting to bury the sharp end into Noctis soft furry body, but I was met with resistance. I turned, I still was holding the tool, and looked behind me. The end was embedded into the skull of my wife. She died instantly, without a sound. Her eyes looked straight at me, a fine trickle of blood ran down between her eyebrows, down the side of her nose and into her slightly open mouth. 

I dropped the axe. She fell at my feet. Her lifeless body bled and did not twitch. 

《"Eat her!!"》

《"She will taste better raw."》

《"Barbeque her."》

《"Rotisserie style is my favourite."》

I struggled to remove the axe from her head. I looked around for Noctis. The cellar appeared empty, just Luna and myself. I needed to put her body somewhere. If I call for the police, surely they will arrest me for murder. Yes, I just murdered my Luna, but it's that damn cat I wish to kill. 

Luna, my sweet Luna. Tears filled my eyes. This is all Noctis fault. 

I looked around the cellar. If I was going to get away with this, I can't take her out of the house. Her body is much larger than my Regis, and burying her in my old garden is out of the question. This house has a small garden, but my neighbours are nosy and always watching us. If never be able to make the hole deep enough for her body in such a small plot of earth. Where can I put her?

《"Bury her in that chimney, no one will find her there."》

For once, the daemons had a good idea. I used the murder weapon and got to work on the plastered chimney. It was easy work, I had plenty of extra supplies in the cellar should I need more. 

I propped her up in the hollow space of the chimney, and got to work putting it back together. Once the brick work was done, I got to work with the plaster. 

Not once during my endeavour was I bothered by Noctis. He must of run away. Good riddance, pest. 

I smoothed the plaster, it looked like it was never bothered, like it was the same when we moved in. Perfect.

I cleaned up the remainder of the mess in the cellar and continued along like nothing was amiss. 

Days passed, and I acted normal. The two dogs would whimper and whine for Luna, but I kept the door to the cellar shut tight. People in the streets who recognized me would ask about Luna, I made a story saying she was visiting her brother, Ravus. 

The police knocked on my door soon after. They looked into my story and found that her brother had died several years earlier in an accident. 

Officers Argentum, Scientia and Amicitia produced a search warrant, I gracefully allowed them entrance. The three searched high and low. Officer Argentum was completely enamored by Umbra and Pryna, the two other officers kept at their task. 

“What's behind this door?” Scientia asked, inquiring about the cellar. I opened the door and followed the three of them down.

I helped them move things around, the blood that was on the floor when she died was meticulously cleaned, leaving not a drop in its wake. 

I found an umbrella “As you see gentlemen, this house is sturdy and hides no secrets” I tapped the new plaster on the chimney. The drying conditions must of been off, part of it fell off.

An strange sound was made behind the plaster, beneath the bricks. Officer Amicitia grabbed my murder weapon and swung at the plaster, not caring if he made a mess. The three of them pulled plaster and bricks away as fast as they could. 

“What the?” Argentum asked. He placed his dirty hand to his mouth. 

They used their flash lights to illuminate the hollow space, there stood Luna, her hair was matted with dried blood, here clear blue eyes were missing, her nose and mouth looked like they were chewed. A hissing was heard, Scientia pointed his flashlight to the source, Noctis was hunched on her head, I had boarded the beast in with my Luna.

《"Ardyn 1 Regis 1 Noctis 1"》

~

A rumour passed along the breeze, a new Oracle was born. The days would be longer and safer. Hunters would gather in numbers and take back the land they once had. Ardyn hoped for longer days, his name he had long forgotten, Lucis Caelum, reminded him that his family is the light bringer. It was up to the Oracle and his elusive family to bring back the light. How could he if he was locked in here for murder? 

How many Lucis Caelums were left? He dreaded to make a new line.

“Not my responsibility” he mutter, he returned to his writing.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are welcome! It's my first swing at this genre, I wanted to make it more gory, but I suck at detail.
> 
> I'm on Tumblr! kuronekosama


End file.
